FMA: On Down The Road
by Tahnee Brown
Summary: A dream I had this morning [Tuseday July 11, 2006] of an AU involving The Elric brothers, Roy Mustang, and a strange twist of fate. Very short.


This is a fanfiction based on the works of Hiromu Arakawa of the title Fullmetal Alchemist. It is also based on a dream that I had this morning. Tuesday July 11, 2006 The characters mentioned include Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye. There are two relationships inferred in this fanfiction, but I leave it to you to determine as to which ones I intended.

Italics symbolize thought or song.

Any discussion regarding the cause and or effect of any abnormalities in my AU may only be conducted through private sessions. IOW, if you want to talk about something that in one way or another might spoil my fanfiction for another reader, it must be done through notes, PM's or emails

**WARNING:** This fanfiction might contain situations and/or allusions to spoilers of the Fullmetal Alchemist series, manga and/or movie. Read on only at your own discretion if you have not seen the entire series, read the entire manga, or seen the entire movie.

At a later date this submission might contain descriptions and/or explanations of any or all anomalies introduced within the fanfiction if so desired or wished by the general public. These will be added at the very END of the submission so as not to disturb from the feeling of the piece.

All characters and locations © Hiromu Arakawa

This particular alternate universe of Fullmetal alchemist and the ideas expressed within it are © Tahnee Elizabeth Brown-Corzine me

Song "My Heart Will go On" © Celine Dion.

Do not copy, alter, or redistribute any or all parts of the following creation without expressed written permission from me.

The fan-fiction you are about to read takes place many years after the first Fullmetal Alchemist movie. Alphonse was able to find a way to bring his brother back to their universe. They are now in their early thirties.

_**Epilogue**: Alchemy. It is the lifeblood of the world. Without it, many people would be at a loss. They would not know how to live, nor would they be able to understand the world around them. But one such person has lived without it, and although he suffered, he learned to overcome this lack, and was finally able to accept that maybe his destiny was to live in this new way. But then, fate was overridden, and he was brought back to the life he once knew. He was grateful, but now things were different again. He was forced to revamp his way of life yet again, but this time, it wasn't as much of an adjustment. Many things had changed since he had left, some good, some bad, but now, life was as it should be, had he not delved into the lifeblood to begin with. But blood, even symbolic blood, can become tainted, and can destroy what it once helped create._

"Brother…?" Alphonse asked as he slowly opened the door. "Ed, Winry's worried about you." He stepped fully into the room only to see that his brother wasn't in bed. He panicked slightly, but then he heard a noise from the right. He turned to see the bathroom door slightly ajar, and he shook his head. "Brother, you know you're not supposed to walk by yourself." He ambled over to the other door, and pushed it open. There, he saw his elder, yet slightly smaller brother standing at the mirror, supporting himself with the sink. His head was down, and his hair was covering his face. Al stood for a moment, and when he didn't see his brother breathe, he started to worry. He took a step towards Ed.

"There's no need for that…" Edward whispered, straightening up to look at his younger, significantly healthier brother. "I'm still alive. I won't be found in a bathroom I can assure you that." He snipped, finally bringing his eyes up to look at his brother's. "Now, why does Winry have any reason to worry about me?" He asked, trying to step out of the bathroom using his left foot first, but it faltered, and he fell. Alphonse flew to catch him. His knee landed on his brother's foot, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from yelling in pain. They stood like that, Alphonse supporting his brother's weight while in a painful crouch, and Edward trying to support himself both with his brother under his left arm, and the bath tub with his right. He wasn't fairing any better than his brother. He let his right leg relax, and he half fell, half sat on it. He gently pushed his brother off his foot so that he wouldn't break anything. He was already going to get a bruise, there was no reason why he should give his brother a broken knee too.

Alphonse sat back from his brother, clutching his knee and silently swearing. When the pain had subsided, he looked up at Ed, and tried to finish his sentence. "She's worried because of this…" Edward looked up sharply, fire burning in his eyes. Al was surprised, and yet happy to see that that fire was still there. After all these years, his soul was still intact. "She…she's afraid that if you keep it up, you're going to hurt yourself. She's done all she can. At first, when you got sick…she thought it was the automail she had given you. But when new automail didn't work…She's helpless Ed…She loves you, but there's nothing she can do to help you. And that scares her more than anything." The anger behind his eyes fell away to be replaced with tears. Edward was startled, but not altogether surprised. He let them flow, as few as there were, and was relieved when Al just sat there, waiting. He never much thought about it, but he would be nothing without his brother. And that made Ed love him all the more.

"Al…I just wish she'd stop blaming herself…it's not her fault…" Edward's words sank until they were barely audible. He lowered his head, and just sat there. He closed his eyes to keep them from overflowing. They both sat there for a long time. Al just letting his brother grieve, and Ed just trying to find the strength to stand. Ten whole minutes passed before he gently held out his left hand fro his brother. Al seized it, and grabbed Ed's upper right arm as well. He hefted his brother to his feet, and draped his left arm over his shoulders. Edward's hand closed on his brother's left shoulder as they walked out of the bathroom. He didn't let go again until he was sitting steady in the middle of his bed. Al sat down next to him, and in a silent show of love settled his brother's right hand in his lap so that he could brood in the form he was accustomed. Al leaned back against the wall, and supported his neck with both arms.

"She read something in the paper this morning." Al began, watching his brother's back for a reaction. "It involved an old friend of ours…A one General Roy Mustang." Edward's shoulders tensed, and his head lowered slightly. Al waited again. "He and Riza have moved back to Central due to his…illness." The last word dug like a knife into Ed's heart, and he bent over as if in pain. Al moved to catch his brother, but as he saw that he wasn't falling, he let his hand rest on his brother's ribs. "They…aren't sure what it is…but it seems to be affecting his memory." He began to rub his brother's back. "He was told to move back here so that they could do tests…and some of those tests say…" His hand stopped. "That he's not going to li-"

"Don't." Ed whispered.

"Don't?" Al asked, pulling his hand away and sitting up.

"Please…don't finish…" Ed answered. Al sat up to look at his brother, but he was greeted by a sight similar to the one he had seen when he found his brother earlier. His hair hid his face, and he was staring at the floor. This time however, Al could see through the blonde locks, to the tear stained cheeks below. He looked away, but not before Ed caught him watching. "You don't have to feel sorry for me. It's not your fault either…" Ed murmured. This time, it was Al's turn to shed a tear. He wiped away, more ashamed than his brother was to be seen crying. He looked at the opposite wall to keep from crying again. Edward tried to comfort his brother by patting him on the shoulder, but his arm wouldn't cooperate, to he ended up patting his thigh. Al halted the motion by placing his hand on his brother's and then jumped when Ed's hand closed around his own. He gripped back, and was able to stifle his tears. He wiped his eyes again with his right forearm, and then turned to face Ed.

"I came up to ask you if you wanted to visit him. Well, Winry asked me to ask you, but I wanted to see him too. It…I'm sure it would mean a lot to him if you visited. He doesn't have much longer…" His eyes softened as he waited for Ed's answer. It was almost to quiet to hear, but it was a definite,

"Yes."

It took them almost an hour of walking, stopping, sitting, and walking again before they finally reached the townhouse the paper had mentioned as the current residence of General Roy and Riza Mustang. They opted to take the elevator, which saved Al the pain of having to support his brother up three flights of stairs. They looked at opposite sides of the elevator, inadvertently watching each other through the reflection on the metal walls. Ed smiled to see his younger brother standing strong, and not using anything as support unlike himself, but all Al could do was keep himself from crying again. Ed was forced to lean against the wall and have his hand on the support bar while keeping all his weight on his real leg. At one point, his brother had surpassed him in height, if only by an inch, but now, he was back to the same stature he had been as a child. Granted, several feet had been added since their younger years, but it was still Al who was the taller. The door opened as a lone tear escaped his eye, but Ed took no notice. He was staring out of the elevator to the end of the hall. Winry had called to tell Riza that they were on their way, and she had told them that they were at the end of the hallway. Ed took a deep breath as he stepped out of the elevator unaided. Al shot out of the lift to grab his brother's arm, but Ed shook him off. Al nodded, and resigned himself to walking behind his elder brother. Although he was slow, each step Edward took was steadier than the last, and Al seemed to think that as they grew nearer the room, the strength that had eluded Ed all these years was seeping back into his bones allowing him to support his slowly decaying body alone. He stopped short of the door however to allow Al to ring the doorbell. A moment later It opened, and a noticeably older Riza beckoned them in. She led them across the room to another door which she promptly opened.

"Roy, Edward is here. He came to say hello." She spoke to what seemed and empty room, but then an acknowledging grumble met their ears. She nodded, and then let the brothers walk past her. She closed the door behind them, and stood watch just inside of it.

_ Old habits die hard._ Edward thought. He looked straight ahead at the man he once spurned, and found that he was now damming himself for ever thinking ill of this man. General Roy Mustang, _Ex-General._ Edward corrected, sat in a high backed chair behind a desk staring at a fire set in the wall to Ed's left. Lines graced his once handsome face, and his hair had faded to gray around his temples. For a split second, Edward saw his father sitting in Roy's place, but he blinked, and the illusion was gone. He took a tentative step towards the desk, and Roy twisted his gaze on Edward so quickly that Ed thought he would get shot. Recognition dawned on Roy's face, and he smiled, albeit painfully. This gave Ed the strength needed to walk the rest of the distance to the General's desk. He stopped short of the edge to keep the allusion of territory alive. They stood like this, two men stricken with unknown illnesses which, unbeknownst to them and the rest of the world, were caused by the same catalyst, unable to speak. Then, just as Ed was about to say hello, Roy burst into a fit of coughing. Riza flew to his side, and poured him a glass of water which he swallowed as best he could. Once it calmed, she left to stand where she had been, keeping her loyalty to him in the only way she knew how. Another moment past before Ed spoke.

"Hey Mustang." He meant to say more, but the words failed him, so instead, he just held out his gloved hand. Roy just stared at it, seemingly confused about the gesture. Ed kept his had still, waiting for the knowledge to find it's way to his old friend.

"Fullmetal." Roy replied, still staring at Edward's outthrust hand. He then looked up at Ed to stare straight into his eyes. Still, Ed did not remove his hand. He did however take a step forward so that his stance felt more normal. Now he wasn't leaning over on his bad leg. "Still as short as ever, aye?" Roy asked. This hit a nerve with Ed, but instead of yelling at the man, he just smiled and nodded.

"Yep. I'm still a pipsqueak. What are you gonna do about it old man?" He replied, playing along with their old verbal game.

"Only what I can…" Roy replied, his eyes drifting back down to Ed's hand. Ed shifted again at this weird response, but he just brushed it off. "What sort of trouble are you in this time Fullmetal? It's not every day a brat like you comes looking for a way out. Did you blow up yet another city?" This inconsistency hit Ed with a blow that nearly knocked him to his knees, but the only noticeable affect it had was that his eyebrows furrowed, and his feet shifted of their own unsteady will. He righted himself a second later and he gripped the edge of the desk with his left hand to steady his stance. His right hand stood where it was however.

"I'm not a brat any longer sir. In fact…I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a man now…" He replied, trying to exact a reaction, but all he got was Roy looking down at his hand again. "I have a wife…and a daughter now…Her name's May." He waited for the reaction he knew this would get, but nothing came. His eyes darted from side to side as he studied Roy's face, but there was no response. "We named her after Hughes. In honor of him." This still held no answer, and then Ed realized something. "You don't remember him do you General?" Roy's gaze drifted up to Ed's face, and then back down to his own lap. He then looked back up at Ed, a new light in his eyes.

"Well then Fullmetal, if there's nothing you need of me, then I wish you good day." And finally, Roy took Ed's hand in his, and shook it with his old gusto. _Of course._ Ed thought. _He's in a different world when he knows me. It must be the singular vision. When he remembers me, when he's himself, he acts as if he's still General. Back before I left. Back before he got that patch. But when he's here, in this time, he's as helpless as he looks._

"Thank you sir." Edward replied as he shook back. They released, and Ed stood up straight again. Just before he turned to leave, he remembered something that he swore he'd never do. He dropped his head to question himself before he raised it again, brought his feet together, locked his knees, and saluted. Roy stared at Ed for a long while, and just as Ed was beginning to grow tired, Roy saluted back, a single tear running down his cheek. Ed nodded, and relaxed. He held out his hand for his brother to take and they started to walk out of the room. Riza smiled and mouthed them a thank you. Then as they reached the door to the office, the radio switched on.

"Greetings all! And welcome to Afternoon Oldies! The show that plays all of your favorite songs from way back when! To start we have quite the classic and I'm sure you'll all recognize this beautiful tune!" The announcer bleated as a slow somber melody followed his voice. Soon, words followed, and Ed found himself fully crying as the words struck home.

_Every night in my dreams  
I see you, I feel you  
That is how I know you go on  
Far across the distance and spaces between us  
You have come to show you go on_

_Near far wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on _

Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime  
And never let go till we're gone  
Love was when I loved you  
One true time I hold you  
In my life we'll always go on

Near far wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on

_  
You're here, there's nothing I fear  
And I know that my heart will go on  
We'll stay forever this way  
You are safe in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on…_


End file.
